TOPBOX: December 2014

this will be a super quick post! the December's Topbox was a bit of a letdown.

1) Marsk : Mineral Eyeshadow in "Black Comedy"
size: 1.2 g (full size!)
retail value: $22.50

i just do not have the patience when it comes to loose eyeshadows. i have a brief 5-10 minute window for makeup before i run (never walk) to the bus stop. please be sure to check out the blog sale for this item.

2) Kinetics : Nail Colors in "KP299 Ice Smoothie"
size: 15 mL
retail value: $12.00

"Ice Smoothie" is a deep purple that can also be found on said blog sale page :)

3) Eslor : Soothing Refiner & Cleanser and Chlorophyll Lifting Mask
size: 5 mL x 4 packets
retail value: refiner/cleanser $28.00 (60 mL) and mask $38.00 (50 mL)

i have not heard of Eslor before but it is a company that claims to base their products from science. there is a soothing refiner/cleanser as well as a lifting mask which is meant for tightening the skin.

4) Me MAXeffects Naturals : Eye & Face Makeup Remover Plus Toner
size: N/A (maybe 5 mL?)
retail value: $19.99 (40 mL)

i have no idea how this product could possibly double up as a makeup remover and toner. personally, i felt that it didn't really pass the test as a makeup remover - especially at removing the eyeliner on my lower lash line. as for the toning properties, i can't say for sure. i am more used to toners that contain alcohol so i can feel the tingly sensation afterwards. this one is alcohol free so i can't exactly tell if this toner was doing its job or not.
pretty confusing. i've used the entire thing (in less than a week) and i am still confused what it supposed to do.
side note - this is made right by my house! as in, it's in Calgary! and i haven't even heard of it before now.

and bam! that's it, that's all.
the only neat thing is how these products all come from different countries:
Marsk - Australia/England
Kinetics - Latvia
Eslor - United States
Me MAXefects - Canada 

AT THIS MOMENT ...
currently listening: We - Kim Feel & Kwak Jin Eon
just watched: X-Men: Days of Future Past (not bad - but this changes EVERYTHING!)

still watching: Walking Dead Season 5 // Vampire Diaries Season 5 // Marco Polo Season 1 // Outlander Season 1
now reading: - -

TOPBOX: August 2014

i miss the wishlist for Topbox every month. seriously, every month. i don't know why i can't just check in a few days before the end of the month. i just never remember. ever.
and so, it happened again near the end of July while i was away for my boyfriend's sister's wedding. right after the wishlist closed, i emailed Topbox and asked if they could put me down for the Benefit box.
a rep emailed me back, saying that she would put my request in!

unfortunately, the request fell through and another regular, boring Topbox arrived in my mailbox August 19th.

1) Barefoot Venus : Macadamia Oil Hand Cream in "Wild Flower"

size: 60 mL

retail value: $5.99 [full size!]

i love the pretty details on the packaging of the hand cream. the cream itself is also quite lovely. smells great and is not overpowering. my skin feels lovely and soft afterwards. it's made in Kelowna - i was just there in July!

2) Pur~Lisse : Pur-Protect Essential Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 Sunscreen

size: 15 mL

retail value: $55 (50 mL)

i just received this in the ipsy July bag - and i am still working through that one. i like how it is non-greasy and actually feels light on the skin. great size to throw in your bag and reapply throughout the day. today, Calgarians experienced our first snow after the summer season. up to 10 cm one day after we floated down the Bow River, enjoying 26 degree weather. so we will probably not see much sun for quite some time...aghhhhhhh! no fair! we can't just skip over autumn entirely! :(

3) Lise Watier : Prebiotic Micellar Water

size: 12 mL

retail value: $25 (200 mL)

prebiotic micellar water... such a fancy-sounding name. this the very FIRST prebiotic micellar water -simply because everyone else calls it 'toner'. prebiotic refers to sugar molecules that "stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria" - sounds like yogurt to me.
just like you would with a toner, you use this product with a cotton ball and dab it on your face. it doesn't sting a whole lot like some toners so that's why this is ideal for sensitive skin. 

4) Matrix : Oil Wonders in "Egyptian Hibiscus Color Caring Oil"

size: 5 mL x 3 = 15 mL

retail value: $22.99

seriously... i thought we were past the whole one-use satchet thing.
other than that, i've discovered i enjoy the scent of hibiscuses. you only need a tiny dab of this product or else it sort of weighs your hair down.
i've been using hair oils for a while now... after coming back from the hot and humid Florida weather, i noticed that when i curled the ends of my hair into a ball, it goes crunch.

crunch is not a nice sound for hair to make.

i have to admit that although this was an uninteresting box, i will be eventually using all of these items. still wish i had the Benefit box though!

TOPBOX: January 2014

i went to another concert!! this has been a great year for concerts!! just recently i went to see SHANIA TWAIN! i heard she hadn't performed on a concert stage for over a decade... which is just crazy. her tickets were also crazy... crazy expensive! but i got a great last minute deal and was able to get pretty decent seats. she had back to back concerts at the Calgary Stampede since the first one sold out so quickly. i was definitely kicking myself when i missed the ticket release of both shows... blergghh... but i made sure i got tickets in the end.

here's her performance of one of my favorite songs of hers - From This Moment On

now back to a quick look at the last January box i have to review... after this... i am skipping to July boxes!!! i have accepted defeat.

January Topbox.
one word for this box: lame.
lame lame lame lame.

especially lame box to start off the year.

1) Aveda : Stress-Fix Body Lotion
size: 25 mL
retail value: $32.50 (200 mL)

yuck - stress-relieving or easy-sleeping lotions always throw me off because they never smell 'calming' or 'relaxing' to me. this particular scent smells like a spice to me... with some dirt thrown in. not good at all.

2) Miracle 10 : Solution II Extra Strength Clarifying Solution
size: 30 mL
retail value: $44 (120 mL)

i haven't used toners forever... forever as in since the time i was using the whole Pro-activ system for my pimples in junior high/high school. which is actually ages ago (almost time for a 10 year reunion!).
i did not forget the slight sting when i use toners... or how it burns my eyes a little when i use it too close to my eyes. it does make my skin feel a tad bit cleaner in a sense. as if all the bacteria are burning off of my face or something... haha

3) Elizabeth Arden : Prevage Anti-Aging + Intensive Repair Eye Serum
size: 3 mL
retail value: $275 (30 mL)

yeeeeesh. it is always the case with these super expensive samples: they are always itty bitty like this which is never enough to convince me to shell over almost $300.

4) Benefit : Benetint
size: 2.5 mL
retail value: $36 (12.5 mL) 

i already own one of these from last year's Topbox celebrating the same occasion - Chinese New Year. it's handy when you are carrying a small purse and would like to touch up later in the night. i find that it works better as a stain on the cheeks rather than the lips. please read post here.

and here it all is!
nothing to be excited about.

i hope you are happy to know the next box i review will be a JULY one. oh goodie. something relevant! :P
glad to get this final January post in and out of the way on my 27th birthday! now to start anew!

TOPBOX: January 2013 [featuring Clinique]

oh my goodness.
it's taken me like a week to get this post up!! why?
well...

i am officially an office girl. you heard it here first.
i've just completed my second day, but holy moly, working 8-5 really tires you out. it's quite sad going in when it is still dark out and leaving when it is dark once again.
still, i am rather enjoying work at the moment since it is completely new to me and everyone is really friendly!

it almost slipped my mind that my blog reached its first anniversary on the 19th. YAYYY it's been a great year!

also, i want to apologize for the terrible pictures that follow... i haven't had time to play around with my camera and the settings so i haven't quite figured it out yet. plus, can someone please recommend me a program that does frames for multiple pictures (and where i can adjust the frame sizes)? i used to use PicFrame on my iPhone for all my previous blog pictures and that was so.much.simpler.
i tried PicMonkey and it's too much of a hassle since it won't let me do the collage thing AND add font at the same time. lame.
so any recommendations would be oh-so-much appreciated!!

i'm going to keep this post short and sweet since you have already seen plenty of unboxings and reviews and there was only 2 versions anyway.

this month everyone got a Privé Box which is the fancy new thing Topbox has going where they will send out a box featuring one brand. this month was Clinique and from here on out, Topbox will be sending out emails beforehand where you can select from the brands they are offering - it is no guarantee that you will get it though. if you do not, you will get a 'normal' Topbox.

Clinique samples:

1) Clarifying Lotion 3 (Combination Oily) - this product helps to clear your skin of dirt and oil. Clarifying Lotion 1 is for very dry/dry skin while 2 is geared towards those with dry combination skin (there's also a mild version). hmm i wonder why it is called lotion? use this with a cotton ball and rub it over your face after cleansing.
it is not really pleasant smelling... smells slightly like alcohol and i felt a slight burning in my eyes when the 'lotion' got too close. the cotton ball actually looked like it got some dirt off my face.. haha is that too much information? it also does not feel like it dries out my skin so that's a plus.

size: 30 mL
retail value: $16 (200 mL); $27 (400 mL)

2) Rinse Off Eye Makeup Solvent - wow this is really big. it will definitely last me some time, though i am not running out of makeup remover any time soon. doesn't feel oily and doesn't sting - hooray.

size: 60 mL
retail value: $25 (125 mL)

3) Colour Surge Eye Shadow Duo in "Strawberry Fudge" - this would have been the most exciting item had it been a different color... i already have a full sized version of this (included in the pic below since it was hard to capture the true colors of the sample with all that reflection)! just my luck :)
the case is really cute - slides out like a matchbox and can also double as a mirror.

colors are really pretty and shimmery. the pink doesn't show up as pink on my eyes - it looks more peachy. the pigmentation isn't amazing though - they are both softer colors and very wearable. i am putting the sample shadow duo on my swap list (on my to-do list).

size: 1.6 g
retail value: $25 (2.5 g)... my full size one is 2.2 g though...

4) Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle & UV Damage Corrector - seems like the other version (where they got a dark spot corrector) was not as common and i would've preferred that one since i became more aware of my dark spots recently. the Repairwear Laser Focus does have some effect on sun spots but the tests have been focused on anti-aging results.
the sample doesn't come with the dropper like the regular sized one would - you are supposed to use 3-4 drops twice a day which is approximately equivalent to flipping it two or three times onto your finger.

size: 7 mL
retail value: $57 (30 mL); $86 (50 mL)

so the first Privé box... was it amazing? ehhh.. it was okay. Clinique is definitely a higher-end brand but at the same time, these items are not really interesting. i am pretty sure i have gotten a couple of these items through gifts with purchase.
for next month, there were 3 brands you could choose for your 'wishlist': Benefit, Lippy Girl and Miracle 10. i chose Benefit since i haven't really tried many of their products though i have always wanted to and the other ones weren't as appealing to me. i guess we will see how this Privé thing goes!
what did you choose?